Weirdest Pop Cultural Spin-Offs

[Davies]

So, sometimes, the people who license media properties for spin-off merchandise make ... odd choices. Yes, odd is a nice, neutral word for it. I'm interested in knowing what the weirdest one that you've ever seen was.

This is the weirdest one I've ever seen. A Little Golden Book -- complete with the foil on the spine -- using a classic horror movie to teach the concept of opposites to children who were not even alive -- whose parents may not even have been alive -- when it came out. I found this in a London Drugs and read it with eyebrows raised, and can't remember much else that happened that afternoon.

(Note that accounts of stories printed on toilet paper are disqualified from consideration due to general grossness.)

 

[aco175]

I still find it strange that people make, buy, and display the brass bull things that hang off of truck bumpers. Not sure what people are making up for. But, I likely has some stupid crap as well.

 

[payn]

 

[MGibster]

In the 1970s, Kenner marketed toys based on Alien. Given that Alien is about as far from a kid's movie as you can get, what with the rape allegory and chest bursting, it's odd that they'd produce toys for it hoping it might get a fraction of Star Wars' popularity.


@payn linked the Toxic Crusaders, and if you've never seen the Toxic Avenger I can assure you it's wholly inappropriate for children, but there was a rash of cartoons in the 1980s based off franchises that were not child friendly including Rambo: The Force of Freedom and Robocop.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

there was a rash of cartoons in the 1980s based off franchises that were not child friendly including Rambo: The Force of Freedom and Robocop.

I think a lot of that may have been inspired by the success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

 

[MGibster]

I think a lot of that may have been inspired by the success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

I don't think so.

Rambo: The Force of Freedom (1986)
Chuck Norris: Karate Kommmandos (1986)
Robocop (1988)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)

The adaptation of a small indie comic book aimed at adults becoming a kid's cartoon is pretty interesting. As with most other American cartoons of the era, the cartoon was primarily created as a way to advertise a line of toys. I don't think the majority of the public had any idea TMNT was a comic book back in 1987.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Rambo: The Force of Freedom (1986)
Chuck Norris: Karate Kommmandos (1986)

Wow, those came out earlier than I thought. In my head those were around the same time as that bizarre Swamp Thing cartoon.

For those two, I can only assume they were trying to get some of that G.I. Joe money.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

In the 1970s, Kenner marketed toys based on Alien. Given that Alien is about as far from a kid's movie as you can get, what with the rape allegory and chest bursting, it's odd that they'd produce toys for it hoping it might get a fraction of Star Wars' popularity.

I remember walking by that toy every time we were in the PX. $28.99. A lot of money in 1978-79. I wanted it SOOOOOOOOO badly!

I also NEVER asked for it. Not because of the price- we could afford it, no question- but I knew 11yo ME. I knew for certain on some night, that thing would scare the bejesus out of me at some point. Probably SEVERAL nights.

 

[MGibster]

I remember walking by that toy every time we were in the PX. $28.99. A lot of money in 1978-79. I wanted it SOOOOOOOOO badly!

It's the equivalent of $120 today so you're right that it was a lot of money. Your father must have been an officer or you were an only child or something, because there's no way in hell my parents would have bought that for me. I say that, but checking a Sears catelog from 1979 (you young people might not remember the joy of looking at the Sears catelog), a Star Wars action figure was $3.99 which is equivalent to $16.50 today. Wow. Kids are expensive. You could buy a cheap kid's bike for $50 in 1979.

I also NEVER asked for it. Not because of the price- we could afford it, no question- but I knew 11yo ME. I knew for certain on some night, that thing would scare the bejesus out of me at some point. Probably SEVERAL nights.

You're only a few years older than me, but I was a warped little kid because I liked all that scary stuff back then.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

I think we need to remember that a new show that's based off of some property is not the first thing. It's a thing in and of itself.

So it doesn't matter that the average Troma movie (there are no average Troma movies!) is decidedly child unfriendly. The Toxic Crusaders Saturday morning cartoon is the Toxic Avenger to someone who's never seen the original movies.